


Graduation Party

by summer_of_1985



Series: There's Only One Rule. Pick a Partner Who Knows What He's Doing [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Emma is proud of Henry, Emma never told what happened with Neal, F/M, Graduation Speech, Post-Graduation, as is everyone else
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-19 04:44:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20325295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summer_of_1985/pseuds/summer_of_1985
Summary: 'Nothing good ever happens after 2 am' that was the quote that Emma had lived by for a very long time. That she even still lives to now.





	Graduation Party

'Nothing good ever happens after 2 am' that was the quote that Emma had lived by for a very long time. That she even still lives to now.

And now, her baby, Henry, was graduating from high school (well, he has graduated). She now finds herself stood in Granny's Diner, celebrating him finishing another part of his education.

"Emma?" Regina called, knowing that the saviour would want to say something. Emma blinks rapidly, as Killian rubs her back, and pecks her cheek.

Emma walks up and stands next to her son. "I never thought I'd see this, that tiny little baby I brought into the world, standing in front of me. You brought me here when you were 10 years old, and I will be ever thankful that you did. When you were born, I was so angry at your dad, I did the best thing for you, and that was. To let go, to give you your best chance at life. I never held you the day you were born, because I knew that if I took one look at you, I'd never been able to let you go," Emma started already feeling the tears start in her eyes.

Henry smiled up at Emma, getting the truth from Emma years after his dad died, even though Regina still criticised her for little things because she had given Henry away. "But, I've always lived by one thing. Nothing good ever happens after 2 am," Emma stated, earning a loud laugh from her son. "There's one good thing that happened to me after 2 in the morning. You, kid," Emma reached and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"It's something that I'll never forget," Emma started. "I was just starting my ninth month in prison, and at the time I had no idea what time it was in the morning, and I woke up in agony, I'd obviously missed the first contractions because when I woke up, the was this puddle thing on my bed. Whether I liked it or not, you were coming, and nothing was stopping you," Emma smiled, before sitting next to Henry, knowing it will be a difficult story - especially saying it in front of her parents (who still had no idea why she had Henry in prison).

"It was just gone 2 in the morning when I was taken from the cell, all I wanted to do was to go back to that uncomfortable bed and go back to sleep. No matter how much pain I was in," Emma admitted, knowing that Regina would have a few choice words to say. "But they'd taken me to the hospital, obviously - they had to. I had nobody to help me, and I had this handcuff on my leg, making sure I wouldn't run. Because when you're in labour, you're obviously going to run," Emma got quieter.

Emma felt Henry wrap his arms around her, and smelt the mix of sea, leather and rum that was her pirate squeeze into the half of the booth they were in. "You were the best thing that ever happened after 2 am, never once have I regretted having you. If I had to go back and do it all again, with your father, and let you go? I'd do it in a heartbeat because you would find me in Boston when you were 10. I'm so proud of you, kid," Emma finishes, grabbing Henry by his cheeks and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I love you, Henry,"

"I love you too, mom," Henry replies, and Emma remembers when Henry called her that for the first time without even meaning to. 

* * *

After everyone had given their speeches about Henry, Emma was happily curled into Killian's side, even with the threat of the final battle looming over them, and Emma with her vision on the main street - this wasn't going to stop her from enjoying her son's graduation party.

Then Snow sat in front of Emma and Killian, with her eyes locked on Emma. "Why didn't you tell us what happened with Neal?" Snow questioned, wondering why her own daughter could never say anything like this to her.

"I don't know, maybe because when we came back from Neverland, you kept pushing me towards him - when everyone except you, dad, and him could see I didn't to be near him. I know, he's Henry's father, and I could tolerate him like that, but he was trying to make things like movie nights with him and Henry into a 'family game night'. I know how much hope Henry had about his birth parents being together. But, after everything that he did to me? No," Emma leaned into Killian more than what she would do, it was her son's day, why was she getting badgered?

Snow wanted to reach out and hold her daughter's hand, but from the look in Killian's eyes, she knew better. "Why couldn't you... How could you not come to me, because of this?" Snow begged, and Killian knew in an instant that she had hit the wrong nerve. He'd already been on the receiving end of this after the young Prince's naming ceremony.

"Maybe the fact that you think he's a hero for sacrificing himself and naming my baby brother after him?" Emma asked, reaching for Killian's hand, over the past couple of years they had been together and known each other.


End file.
